Long Beach Comic Expo 2015: ‘Buffy: Season 10’ Panel Coverage

Greetings, my fellow Scoobies!

I know I’ve been oddly absent these last few months, with my reviews of the current issues of Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 10 and Angel and Faith being spotty, at best, and you have my apologies for this. It’s no excuse, but keeping Fanboy Comics running behind the scenes can sometimes be just as challenging and time consuming as being charged with standing alone against the vampires, demons, and forces of darkness. I’m only one of the many dedicated individuals who give up their time and talents (and apparently Buffy reviews) to keep this bastion of Geekdom alive and well.

Well, fear no longer, for I have returned with my thoughts on both the latest issues of Buffy: Season 10 and Angel and Faith, as well as some juicy (and spoilery) tidbits from Long Beach Comic Expo 2015’s Buffy comic panel!

SPOILERS BELOW

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 10 #12

Wow, what an excellent issue! Writer Christos Gage continues to work the magic he brought to last season’s Angel & Faith series with realistic, well-written character advancement that channels the tone and feel of the beloved Buffy TV series in a way usually reserved for those with the last name “Whedon.” Spike and Buffy’s rekindled romance manages to be both tender and touching, as well as exciting and sexy. In addition, Andrew’s sexuality is finally being addressed in an appropriate and respectful fashion, and Spike and Xander both continue to develop as characters, while developing the beginnings of a real friendship for the first time ever!

New Buffy artist Megan Levens is still knocking it out of the park with her time on the series, and I can’t say enough about her talents. Don’t miss the video interview I recorded with her at Long Beach Comic Expo 2015:

Angel and Faith #12

While not as spot on as Gage’s Buffy series, writer Victor Gischler and artist Will Conrad continue to make Buffy’s sister series a worthy companion piece. Gischler has reunited Faith and Angel in London, addressed Koh’s secret betrayal, and brought Fred (and Illyria) back from the dead.

While Gischler has a number of great threads unraveling in Angel & Faith, I’m most impressed with the plot thread gift that was last season’s magical reboot and the unexpected heart tugs I felt when I realized we’d, most likely, only be able to keep either Fred or Illyria. Guess the blue meanie has started to grow on me.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 10 #13

I can’t give any spoilers out, even though I got a sneak peek at an advance copy of this yet-to-be-released issue, but if you’ve been enjoying the current direction of Gage’s ‘Love Dares You’ arc, then you’ll absolutely love this next chapter! Levens' artwork continues to more than impress (and includes a few more beautiful pages of Buffy and Spike in the buff for you Spuffy fans!), while Gage’s script really illustrates how much each of these characters has changed and matured in the last few seasons. Buffy: Season 10 is red hot right now, and this hardcore fan can’t wait to see how the rest of the season develops.

Look for my full review to go up on Fanboy Comics this Thursday!

Long Beach Comic Expo 2015: Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 10 Panel

While Long Beach Comic Expo 2015 took place more than a few weeks ago, there are still some juicy Buffy comic news morsels that you might have not yet sampled. CraveOnline Comics Channel Editor Blair Marnell and Fandom Planet's Sax Carr co-hosted the Buffy: Season 10 panel on the last day of the con. The panel itself featured writer Christos Gage and artist Megan Levens, as well as a ton of insight and info regarding the current Buffy and Angel & Faith storylines and what’s to come! Here are some of the highlights:

It was heavily implied that Megan Levens will be returning to illustrate more issues (possibly somewhere around issue #20) this season. Levens’ artwork has been fantastic these last few issues, so I’m sure fans will be pleased with this news.

Speaking of pleasing fans, my fellow Scoobies will be happy to know that Gage confirmed that artist Rebekah Isaacs will illustrate the final arc of the season for Buffy: Season 10. Isaacs will be returning to the series prior to the final arc, but it still feels very appropriate that the original team of Gage and Isaacs will finish out the season together.

Apparently, Giles’ adult body will be temporarily restored in issue #19. We have yet to know any further details, but it sounds like the perfect pitch for a Buffy episode, kind of like “Giles temporarily becomes a demon” or “Giles temporarily becomes a teenager.”

It was also heavily implied (Lots of heavy implications in this panel, huh?) that Angel and Buffy will finally come face to face for the first time since Giles’ death before the end of this season. It was further implied that Spike and Buffy may still be seeing each other when Angel shows up and that the murderous, “Somnambulist”-like dreams that both Angel and Spike are currently experiencing could be the reason behind this much-anticipated meeting.

Gage and Levens also discussed the motivation and thought process behind Andrew coming out. Gage suggested that this development for the character falls in line with the themes of adulthood present in this season, and that the humor of Andrew being painfully unaware of his own sexuality had run its course The writers felt it was time to address the issue, and it seems that most fans agree.

In regards to Buffy: Season 10, Gage says fans might not have seen the big bad yet.

When the fans in the audience were asked which character couplings they still wanted to see in the Buffyverse, the most vocal suggestion was Buffy and Faith.

While Gage and Levens discussed the potential of Angel and Faith hooking up briefly, they both praised the fact that the series was one of the few examples in the comic book world where the male and female lead represented the potential for friendship and a professional working relationship between a man and woman, without romantic or sexual complications.

Apparently, when Gage and Whedon were discussing how Giles would be resurrected, Gage suggested that the character return as a teenage, Ripper-version of himself. While Whedon found it interesting, he ultimately shot the concept down because of the potential creepiness of the possibility of Giles hooking up with his pseudo-daughters, Buffy or Willow.

Levens was asked if there were any characters from Buffy that she hadn’t yet had the chance to draw, but would like to. Her answer: Angel.

Gage’s dream comic book project would be Godzilla vs. The Avengers. Apparently, the book got very close to getting the go ahead, with Marvel, IDW, and others on board, but was squashed at some point in the process by Toho.

That all for now, Scoobies. Remember, I’ll be back on Thursday with my review of the latest issue of Buffy: Season 10.